Marillion Show

All I can say is, what a treat. Last night was my first and only time seeing the band on this tour, and man. The band is absolutely on fire. It’s a bit strange seeing a band with this much command of energy in such a small place. Each of these guys are highly skilled musicians, and they’ve been playing together for a very long time. They were at the end of the longest tour they’d done in years, so they were in great shape. This band should be playing stadiums, so to see them in a place like The Paradise Rock Club, where they can have intimacy with their audience and blow the roof off, is almost unfair.

They have an amazing back catalog of songs to choose from to play live, dozens and dozens of songs. And that’s not even including the Fish-era stuff. Every song on their setlist was a treat. The new Marbles stuff was particularly good.

Bridge
Living with the Big Lie
Quartz
This is the 21st Century
The Party
Between You and Me

Beyond You
The Great Escape

Beautiful
The Bell in the Sea
Easter

Other highlights were h fetching his anorak until they turned off the air conditioning system that was blasting him onstage. Once they turned that off, it quickly became fairly sweltering as a good rock club should be. The venue was packed, it must have come close to selling out if it didn’t.

Also, John Wesley’s set was, as always, great. I haven’t heard him in years, his new stuff is great. I also like his new technologically-assisted sound. Very cool.

An exhilirating night, all in all. Even at $30 before Ticketmaster’s no-lube-anal-rape fee, a Marillion show has to be one of the best entertainment values going. Here’s hoping they come back, maybe hook up with a festival next summer.